Correspondence Between President Harry S. Truman and Congressman John H. Folger

May 20, 1948 Personal Dear Congressman Folger: I appreciate very much your letter of May twelfth and I am hoping that eventually an understanding will be reached with Russia, but Russians are peculiar. As you know, we were instrumental in getting an Atomic Energy Control Commission appointed in the United Nations, That Com- mission has had two hundred and fifty meetings and every effort has been made to create an international control for atomic energy. The effort has been blocked at every turn by Russia with Poland and Ukraine going along. I can't understand the reason why, be- cause there can be no disarmament as long as that terrible weapon is out of international control, Russia followed the same procedure throughout the efforts of the United Nations and the United States for peace in the world. Look at their obstructionist tactics in Korea. They haven't kept agree- ments made at Yalta or Potsdam. In not one country they dominate has there been a free election. Yet Russia misuses the word "Democracy" shamefully. Russia calls the totalitarian states which have been set up in Eastern European countries "Democracies." That is a desecreation of the word. Tito murdered the opposition in order to establish himself with an air-tight police state, You know what happened in Bulgaria, in Rumania, in Hungary and in Czechoslovakia, We must keep trying for peace, however, The false approach of the Russians must not prevent our peace program from going through to a successful conclusion, Sincerely yours, age ARCHIVES INATIONAL RECORDS AND of HARRY S. TRUMAN : SERVICE" Honorable John H. F olger House of Representatives Washington, D. C.